readme.markdown

# shell-quote

Parse and quote shell commands.

[![build status](https://secure.travis-ci.org/substack/node-shell-quote.png)](http://travis-ci.org/substack/node-shell-quote)

[![browser support](https://ci.testling.com/substack/node-shell-quote.png)](https://ci.testling.com/substack/node-shell-quote)

# example

## quote

``` js
var quote = require('shell-quote').quote;
var s = quote([ 'a', 'b c d', '$f', '"g"' ]);
console.log(s);
```

output

```
a 'b c d' \$f '"g"'
```

## parse

``` js
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
var xs = parse('a "b c" \\$def \'it\\\'s great\'');
console.dir(xs);
```

output

```
[ 'a', 'b c', '\\$def', 'it\'s great' ]
```

## parse with an environment variable

``` js
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
var xs = parse('beep --boop="$PWD"', { PWD: '/home/robot' });
console.dir(xs);
```

output

```
[ 'beep', '--boop=/home/robot' ]
```

## parse with custom escape charcter

``` js
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
var xs = parse('beep --boop="$PWD"', { PWD: '/home/robot' }, { escape: '^' });
console.dir(xs);
```

output

```
[ 'beep', '--boop=/home/robot' ]
```

## parsing shell operators

``` js
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
var xs = parse('beep || boop > /byte');
console.dir(xs);
```

output:

```
[ 'beep', { op: '||' }, 'boop', { op: '>' }, '/byte' ]
```

## parsing shell comment

``` js
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
var xs = parse('beep > boop # > kaboom');
console.dir(xs);
```

output:

```
[ 'beep', { op: '>' }, 'boop', { comment: '> kaboom' } ]
```

# methods

``` js
var quote = require('shell-quote').quote;
var parse = require('shell-quote').parse;
```

## quote(args)

Return a quoted string for the array `args` suitable for using in shell
commands.

## parse(cmd, env={})

Return an array of arguments from the quoted string `cmd`.

Interpolate embedded bash-style `$VARNAME` and `${VARNAME}` variables with
the `env` object which like bash will replace undefined variables with `""`.

`env` is usually an object but it can also be a function to perform lookups.
When `env(key)` returns a string, its result will be output just like `env[key]`
would. When `env(key)` returns an object, it will be inserted into the result
array like the operator objects.

When a bash operator is encountered, the element in the array with be an object
with an `"op"` key set to the operator string. For example:

```
'beep || boop > /byte'
```

parses as:

```
[ 'beep', { op: '||' }, 'boop', { op: '>' }, '/byte' ]
```

# install

With [npm](http://npmjs.org) do:

```
npm install shell-quote
```

# license

MIT